Naycc 2019

[Larry Bevand]

I see on the CFC meeting board that this item has been posted. Since I can not post there, I hope someone in the know can post here.

The event comes to Canada once every 3 years. I have heard that FIDE America wants $20 U.S. per player as a fee for the privilege of organizing the event. The Chess'n Math Association (CMA) organised the first ever NAYCC in Canada. It was held in Montreal in 2010....we were celebrating our 25th anniversary and we had a great time!

We (the awesome Francis Rodrigues for CMA!) then organized the 2013 in Toronto, to celebrate our 20 years of operation in that city. Francis changed the format to allow for titles and he drew the largest crowd ever to the NAYCC!

In 2016, CMA was given the opportunity to organize the event but we had difficulty finding a site in Montreal or Toronto at a reasonable rate. We finally came up with a site in Kingston, Ontario which was more than perfect, but by then, Windsor had put together a trifecta (CYCC, CCO and NAYCC) which was an all or nothing bid. They did a great job!

So now we are looking at 2019. The Chess'n Math Association is interested, but not at any price. Is it possible to know more about what is required?

Thanks

Larry Bevand
Executive Director
Chess'n Math Association

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Naycc 2019

I see on the CFC meeting board that this item has been posted. Since I can not post there, I hope someone in the know can post here.

The event comes to Canada once every 3 years. I have heard that FIDE America wants $20 U.S. per player as a fee for the privilege of organizing the event. The Chess'n Math Association (CMA) organised the first ever NAYCC in Canada. It was held in Montreal in 2010....we were celebrating our 25th anniversary and we had a great time!

We (the awesome Francis Rodrigues for CMA!) then organized the 2013 in Toronto, to celebrate our 20 years of operation in that city. Francis changed the format to allow for titles and he drew the largest crowd ever to the NAYCC!

In 2016, CMA was given the opportunity to organize the event but we had difficulty finding a site in Montreal or Toronto at a reasonable rate. We finally came up with a site in Kingston, Ontario which was more than perfect, but by then, Windsor had put together a trifecta (CYCC, CCO and NAYCC) which was an all or nothing bid. They did a great job!

So now we are looking at 2019. The Chess'n Math Association is interested, but not at any price. Is it possible to know more about what is required?

Thanks

Larry Bevand
Executive Director
Chess'n Math Association

I believe my latest post in the meeting outlines all the costs as of this time... FIDE America tried to make the fee to them $40 U.S. per player which would be annoying as we only reached breakeven under the old fee in the last few weeks.

I had understood that you would be bidding for a Kingston venue. There are likely to be 3 or 4 groups bidding from Alberta and Ontario so far with possible interest from the FQE if I read more into Pierre's post. I will not be bidding unless everyone drops out and possibly not even then.

My post from the CFC meeting is posted below as a copy and paste.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Naycc 2019

We need all the details, number of rounds, expected number of players, registration fee, organizer's part of each registration, free hotel room requirement for players HoD etc. Will it be mandatory for the players to stay at the official hotel as in the WYCC?

I would hope that the number of rounds would be 9 in order to allow for the possibility of norms and titles. Anything less and there are no norms and likely a greatly reduced turnout. For Central Canada I would expect about 350 players and perhaps more if the Federal government allows Mexican players to attend. We had two or three stopped at the border. There is a $20 US fee per player to FIDE America. You are required to provide 36 to 48 half rooms for official players plus rooms to three HOD at last regulation but those HOD may have to be FIDE trainers. Usually you provide food to official players. Usually there are three heads of delegation and a FIDE rep who gets $1000 U.S. plus a room and board and transportation if my memory is not playing tricks. FIDE America can add official players unexpectedly as when they authorized a country which is not usually part of North America to take part fairly late in the program. That country did not actually show up so it was a case of the threat being worse than the execution. We tried charging an extra fee for players not staying in the official hotel but that broke down because the hotel ran out of double rooms somewhat early as there is a high demand for rooms at Caesars Windsor in the summer.

If you charge a reasonable entry fee your break even will be in the 300 player or more range depending on your venue costs.

[Larry Bevand]

Re: Naycc 2019

Thanks Vlad!

You were unhappy with the NAYCC that Beatrice organized just outside of NYC this year...care to elaborate?

Larry

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Naycc 2019

You were unhappy with the NAYCC that Beatrice organized just outside NYC this year...care to elaborate?

Larry

I do not believe that Beatrice was involved in this year's tournament - at least her name was nowhere on it.

The issues were no food allowance for official players, no HOD allowance, insufficient reservation of rooms for official players (I'm not sure that anyone got rooms at the low rate quoted though used to reimburse official players). At the last minute they tried to change the time control to delay instead of increment which would have invalidated all of the norms which is the main reason anyone would even attend this tournament.

There were insufficient arbiters. Players were spread about 4 large rooms and only two arbiters to supervise. No effort was made to control cell phones. One round was stopped and nullified 45 minutes into the round when they forgot to pair 5 of the top players. The lack of control of the room allowed players to go and visit with parents which led to the situation where parents were feeding peanuts to the opponent of a Canadian with a peanut allergy. The parent feeding his son peanuts was made aware of this problem but was defiant. I have heard that he did the same to another Canadian with a peanut allergy in another U.S. tournament.

When informed of the fact that the Canadian player had a peanut allergy and that the parent of the other child was feeding his son peanuts the Head Arbiter started swearing at the Canadian parent and claiming that she was lying about the peanuts. She went to the other parent and snatched the cup filled with peanuts from the other parent and brought them to the arbiter. At this point the arbiter threatened to ban the Canadian player from all USCF tournaments and to call the police on the Canadian parent. The Canadian parent told him to call the police. The police were not called because he probably realized that the whole situation could turn into an international incident. I don't think this arbiter is fit to direct another FIDE rated tournament.

The Canadian player withdrew while leading the section. He beat the kid with the peanuts but did exhibit signs of a reaction to the peanuts at the end of the game.

[Larry Bevand]

Re: Naycc 2019

Oops you are correct...the event was in New Jersey...not Tarrytown NY...The tournament director was Steven Doyle and the Organizer for the NJ State Chess Federation was DARCY LIMA

Did the CFC pass this information on to the USCF and FIDE America?

Larry

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Naycc 2019

Oops you are correct...the event was in New Jersey...not Tarrytown NY...The tournament director was Steven Doyle and the Organizer for the NJ State Chess Federation was DARCY LIMA

Did the CFC pass this information on to the USCF and FIDE America?

Larry

I believe we did and there is also a complaint to the FIDE arbiters commission by my understanding. Had I been present for these occurrences I am not sure that I wouldn't have caused a much larger international incident.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Naycc 2019

Oops you are correct...the event was in New Jersey...not Tarrytown NY...The tournament director was Steven Doyle and the Organizer for the NJ State Chess Federation was DARCY LIMA

Did the CFC pass this information on to the USCF and FIDE America?

Larry

Steve Doyle is the individual that exhibited the problematic behaviour.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Naycc 2019

Oh yes, I forgot that as usual the U.S. organizers did not supply equipment and that was part of the impetus to go for delay instead of increment. Thankfully Victoria Doknjas's objections about invalidating the norms got through to them. The impression I got was of an extremely arrogant individual.

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: Naycc 2019

I work in a peanut free building and local schools are peanut free. Perhaps this needs to be added to the tournament notice as not every city is nut free.

Large tournaments should always have a first aider identified and that person can perhaps explain to the peanut parent how they may be criminally liable for a death.